Youngkin stands by his record after most Virginia voters reject his successor
Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin defended his governance’s record following a critically important defeat for state Republicans in the recent election.Democrat Abigail Spanberger won the 2025 Virginia gubernatorial race decisively, defeating Republican Lt.Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears by about 15 percentage points. Additionally, Democrats expanded their majority in the Virginia House of Delegates by gaining 13 seats. Despite the loss, Youngkin emphasized that Virginians support his policies, citing job growth, safer communities, improvements in education, and fiscal management, including $10 billion in budget surpluses and $9 billion in tax relief. Youngkin congratulated Spanberger and expressed willingness to cooperate with her transition team. Spanberger, in her victory speech, urged her supporters to respect earle-Sears as she finishes her term. The election marked part of broader setbacks for Republicans nationwide.
Youngkin stands by his record after most Virginia voters reject his successor
Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R-VA) said Virginia residents “thoroughly support” his administration’s work on Wednesday morning, a day after state Republicans experienced a rough loss on election night.
Gov.-elect Abigail Spanberger (D-VA), a former representative, swiftly won Virginia’s 2025 gubernatorial election, beating Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears (R-VA) by roughly 15 percentage points. Virginia Democrats also made massive gains in the state House of Delegates, gaining 13 new seats in addition to the 51 seats they already had.
The Earle-Sears campaign, endorsed by Youngkin last year, pushed the motto, “Let’s keep a good thing going,” referring to the sitting governor’s work. A reporter asked Youngkin if most voters do not back his work as governor in response to Earle-Sears’s double-digit loss, to which Youngkin said he believes state residents believe Virginia is “heading in the right direction.”
“So, bottom line is more jobs, safer communities, excellence in education, making sure that we are taking care of your money because it is your money,” Youngkin said. “We’ve run $10 billion in surpluses and we’ve had $9 billion in tax relief.”
Youngkin also said the government shutdown, on its 36th day, was a “very big challenge” ahead of the Virginia elections. He said the state is home to 330,000 workers who are not getting paid amid the shutdown and encouraged the Senate to vote to reopen the government.
Youngkin congratulated Spanberger on winning the election on Tuesday night and said he is committed to working with her transition team ahead of her inauguration in January 2026. He also gave his thanks to Earle-Sears, Republican lieutenant gubernatorial nominee John Reid, and incumbent Attorney General Jason Miyares for their work on their campaigns.
Spanberger celebrated her win as “commonwealth over chaos” in her victory speech. She also called for her supporters to respect Earle-Sears as she completes her time as lieutenant governor.
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In her concession speech, Earle-Sears said she left a voicemail for Spanberger and asked the governor-elect to “consider all of us Virginians.”
The Virginia gubernatorial election is one of many losses the Republican Party experienced Tuesday night. Chris LaCivita, a former Republican National Committee executive and Trump ally, said on X that “a Bad candidate and Bad campaign have consequences,” and said the Virginia gubernatorial race is “example number 1.”
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